Hear and Now is a deeply personal memoir by Emmy® Award-winning filmmaker Irene Taylor Brodsky about her deaf parents’ decision to undergo risky cochlear implant surgery – the only one of its kind that can restore a sense. At 65, Sally and Paul Taylor decided they wanted to hear their first symphonies, their children’s voices, and talk on the phone. This fascinating, 85-minute documentary follows the couple’s complex, moving journey from the silent world they knew to a new – and often profoundly challenging – world of sound. Interweaving home video footage with behind-the-scenes moments of the Taylors before and after their operations, on doctor’s visits, and in their daily lives, the film is a touching and highly emotional exploration of the psychological dimensions of adapting to a restored sense of hearing. Having been hearing impaired their entire lives, the Taylors must learn to recognize what they are hearing and, in the process, discover just how subjective the sense of sound can be.

I watched it during a business trip one year ago, alone at a hotel room, stressed and underwater with the work. I did not know anything about the documentary in advance. Since the first scene to the end, this marvelous production was an impressive surprise, it made me think about deeper human values, like family, respect, intelligence and emotions. It made me get involved in the story in an empathetic way, hence reflect about my own family, society and principles. After watching it, I felt more focused and mature, stronger to concentrate and to finish my tasks, knowing the reason why I was there, and how to continue ensuring a productive work period in a smoother way, persuing not only figures and results, but also more respectful human relations, and eventually my own happiness. Since then I have been taking this insight into account, trying to grow up day after day. I hope you can experience Hear and Now the same way. Enjoy!